Let's Set the World on Fire
by change-me-like-a-remix
Summary: What if Silver didn't stop Lyra from sneaking into the Radio Tower disguised as a Rocket?  LyraxProton


**Let's Set the World on Fire**

Lyra cautiously walked into the Radio Tower, nervously playing with the hem of her new black shirt. Her hypno walked in front of her like a security guard, making sure no Rocket grunt got too close to her. She felt off wearing the Rocket's black uniform, a black long sleeve shirt and a short skirt with gray boots that went up to her thighs.

The pigtailed brunette was about to talk to the receptionist, when she saw a shadow block the light that filtered in through the glass sliding doors. She flew over the counter and hid under the desk, holding her hypno to her chest. She glared at the receptionist in a way that said, "Keep quiet or you'll regret it." The woman's face paled a bit, but she nodded slightly.

The doors slid open and Lyra heard someone walk over to the counter she was hidden in. The receptionist stuttered a bit as she greeted her visitor, "Y-you can't be in here, sir. The Radio Tower is closed."

Lyra jumped a bit when she heard the familiar voice that replied. "So, Team Rocket must be here, huh?" Silver sounded pissed. His tone made Lyra nervous and she was glad she decided to hide. Silver would have blown her cover, no doubt. "Have you seen a girl with pigtails and a big stupid-looking marshmallow hat come here?"

He was looking for her? Lyra glared up at the woman once again in warning, but she didn't pay any attention to Lyra at all. "N-no," the receptionist muttered. "I haven't seen anyone like that h-here."

Lyra heard him sigh. She wondered, was it a sigh of annoyance, or relief? He'd always gotten mad at her for meddling with Team Rocket, so it was more likely relief, she reasoned. "Good," he murmured. "If you see her come through here, _do not_ let her through. Do you understand?"

Lyra saw the woman shudder and knew that Silver had given her his famous glare. His silver eyes could be quite terrifying at times. "Y-yes," the woman said and gave a sigh of relief as he walked away. Lyra stayed hidden with her hypno for a moment after she heard the sliding doors close behind him.

She crawled out of her hiding spot when she was sure he wouldn't come back, and hopped back to the other side of the counter. She moved toward the stairs, not sparing a glance at the terrified woman watching the door. Hypno walked right beside her, eyeing the grunt guarding the stairs warily.

The grunt smiled when he saw Lyra. "Are you new?" he asked, inspecting her. When she nodded, he said, "The uniform looks good on you! Do you know where you're supposed to go?"

Lyra shook her head no and the grunt said, "You don't talk much, do you? Anyway, new grunts are to report to Proton. He's on the fourth floor, I think." He smiled at her and moved aside so she could go up.

She smiled back and said, "Thank you." She ascended the stairs, unsure of what to expect from the grunts on the upper floors. She stepped on the second floor and was greeted with glares from the hostages and a few grunts, and smiles and smirks from others. Hypno glared at them all, letting out a short growl.

Lyra gulped and walked into the room with her head held up defiantly. She walked past the group of leering idiots and their captives and on to the next floor. She walked over to a random grunt, head still up high, even though she thought her heart was going to burst through her chest at any moment.

"Excuse me," she said, looking up at the purple haired man. "Do you know where I can find Proton?" He looked at her for a moment.

"Wow, I didn't know that Team Rocket let fourteen year olds join us!" He laughed jovially.

"Hey!" Lyra growled, "I'm seventeen!" The grunt laughed again. "Fourteen! How ridiculous," she mumbled crossly. Hypno stepped in front of her protectively.

"Sorry, sorry," the man said, though he didn't sound sorry. "I'll take you to him, but be careful. He's the cruelest Rocket member of all."

"So I've heard," Lyra replied as she followed him to a new door. "I've seen him before. He doesn't seem so scary to me."

The grunt unlocked it and said, "You're brave, kid. Or maybe you're just stupid."

"What's the difference?" Lyra snorted, a bad feeling welling up in her gut. The grunt just laughed as he led her up the stairs that the door had concealed.

"In your case, I'd say you're right. You don't know what you're up against. Proton is merciless, even to kids like you," the grunt shook his head.

"I'm not a child," the girl replied. "I can handle him." She gave the man what she hoped was a reassuring smile; "Hypno and I are more than a match for him!"

"I hope so, kid, for your sake," he said, opening the door to the fourth floor. Proton was standing in the small room, looking bored and leaning against the wall. The green haired man glared at the pair that had just entered.

Lyra looked him in the eyes and felt chills run through her body. His glare was even more terrifying than Silver's. His eyes were cruel and full of mischief.

"What do you two think you're doing here?" He turned his glare to the taller man.

The grunt spoke first, "I escorted her to you, sir. She's a new recruit in need of an assignment." Proton kicked himself off of the wall and stepped towards the pair.

Hypno stepped in front of his pigtailed master once again and growled threateningly, earning a glare from Proton. "Put him away," he growled. Lyra fumbled for his pokeball, quickly withdrawing the Pokémon, but keeping his ball in her hand. He looked back to the man and said, "Get back t your post. You've done your job."

The grunt gave Lyra a pitying look as he disappeared into the stairwell. Lyra slowly looked back to Proton and felt like a rattata in the clutches of a fearow. He turned his malicious green eyes back to her. He paused for a moment and his eyes widened in surprise and recognition.

A slow smirk made it across his face and he couldn't help but laugh. That was when Lyra knew it was all over. He knew who she was and now he was going to kill her. "I remember you," he laughed. "You're the one from Slowpoke Well. What a pleasant surprise!" Lyra backed away from him. "You look great in the Rocket uniform, you know?"

Lyra glared up at him as he got closer to her, her fist gripping the pokeball so hard her knuckles turned white. "You stay away from me," she snarled. "You don't scare me."

"Oh really?" His smirk widened. "I don't think you know who you're talking to." He slowly reached behind him and grabbed a pokeball. "Weezing," he called as he released his Pokémon.

Lyra dropped her pokeball in surprise. In a panic, she dropped to the floor to grab it, and was kicked over by Proton. He stepped on her back to keep her on the ground, and ordered his weezing to use smog on the struggling girl.

Lyra reached for the ball one last time, but it was just out of her reach. She looked up at Proton as the darkness started to close in on her vision. The last thing she saw was his evil, smirking face looking down on her mockingly.


End file.
